Automatic cut-out



v Nov. 10,1925.

E. MEIERJOHAN AToMATIc CUT-OUT F'led April 18. 1922 2 Sheetl-Shif l Fis- Z- Fis- 6- l N V ENTQR, ERNE .5T MEIERJGHAN @wf-Wy AT TGBN EY Nov. 10, 192.5.

E. MEIERJOHAN AUTOMATIC CUT- OUT Filed Apil 1e. 1922 2 sheets-shet 2 Fall- FislO- L l 5 l r INVENTG ERNEST .MEIEKJGHAN @2W/WW??- Patented Nov. 10,' 1925.

UNITED STATES lPATENT OFFICE. A l l unaniem, 4orcnrcmuan, omo. l A

appunti ala April 1s, im. .semi no. 555,205.

To all whom 'it may concern:

B e it known that I, ERNEST MEmRJoHAN, residing in' Cincinnati, in ,the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in .Automatic Cut-Outs, of which the following is a specification. y My invention relates to improvements in automatic cut outs adapted for repeated use. I

The objects of my invention are to pro-- vide an automatic cut out of simple eilicient and inexpensive construction which is adapted to be used indefinitely without damage by short circuit or overload, and to provide means whereby a shorted plug can be detected immediately by "means of a lighted portion when the circuit is broken.

lVith these and otherk objects in view my invention consists in the novel features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of parts as herein set forth and claimed, but it will be understood that certain modifications can be made without departing from the scope or spirit of the claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the preferredconstruction the interior;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section partly in elevation, taken on the line 2 2- of Fig. 3;

Fig. 3 is a planjview of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3 the inner working parts being shown in elevation;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged longitudinal section of one end of Fig. 2 showing a modification; y f

Fig. 6 is a plan and perspective view of partly broken away to show vthe stop collar;

Y elevation,

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the dial which indicates the dierent amperes;

'Fig'. 8 is a perspective view of the dial supporting and operating sleeve; l

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a cartridge type of cut out;

Fig. 10 is a longitudinal section partl in elevation, taken on the line 10e-10 of ig.

Fig. 11 is a longitudinal section partly in taken on the line 11-11 of Fig. l2;

Fig. 12 is a plan view of Fig. 11 with cap 39 rcmovedgrand U-shaped bracket 12 by insu Fig. 13 is a perspective view of the inner working parts of this style of cut out.

In the 4embodiment of my invention as illustrated and which shows preferred constructions I provide a porcelain housing or receptacle'l having a porcelain cap 2 provided with Acentral hole 2 and suitably seated thereon and secured thereto by porcelain cement 3. Spring circuit, connection 4 inserted through hole 5 in porcelain housing 1 is attached to a coarse screw threaded brass shell 6 for insertion in any suitable electric socket. Housing 1 is provided lin its reduced end with a hole 7 to receive holding screw 8 to which the interior working parts are attached. Said screw has a re uced stem 9 adapted to fit socket 10 in 'one end of insulating fibre pin 11 which has its other end supported in ear 12 of U- shaped bracket 12. Said bracket is seated in the reduced end of porcelain housing 1 and is held in 13 on screw 8.v

Spring finger 14 of U-shaped bracket 12 is curved outwardly at'15 to permit it to yield under pressure and at its upper end 1s provided with an inturned l' beveled end 16 adapted to sli over and rest upon outwardly tapered shelf 17 of collar 17 fixed on fibre pin 11 within bracket 8 12.- Said shelf acts as a stop to limit the X 2. Holding nut 13 has a conducting wire 90 18 embedded therein and extending therefrom into engagement withl'lip 16. and is referably insulated from spring finger 14` y insulating plate 19 interposed therebetween and between holding nut 13 on -one side and U-shaped bracket 12 and-boss'8 of screw Son the other side. Coil spring 20 encirclingstem,v 9 is interposedbetween holdin nut 13 and fibre pin 11 and is adapted Screw 8- is insulated from en a ement with l atingbushing tapered collar 21 of copper or other suitable conducting material is rigidly mounted upon of engagingl the free end 'of spring connection 4 and tapered lu bracket 12.

place therein by holding nut (p 16 having to operate as hereinafter set forth.

fibre pin 11 for the purpose 105 22 supported by I. Varm 23 rigidly attache to one side ofdicated in Figs. 2 and 4the device is.

screwedinto a socket to `make electrical connectlon with the circuit 1t 1s to serve, and

when there is a short circuit or overload the current passes through screw 8 into holding nut 13 and wire 18, then into spring finger 1.4 of U-shaped bracket 12 to arm- 23 into lug 22, then into tapered collar 21, then into springconnection v'4, and coarse screw threaded brass shell 6 thereby completing f the circuit, whereupon'the abnormal current passing through wire 18 will heat it suiiiciently to cause it to expand lengthwise thereby pressing outwardly against spring finger 14 and forcing lip 16 out of engagement with'shelf 17 of stop collar 17. Coil spring 2O will then force fibre pin 11 and collar 17 lengthwise inte engagementwith arm 12 and tapered collar 21 lengthwise into the disen aged position shown in Fig. 1 thereby brea ing the circuit.V e

Fig. 5 shows a modified construction which takes care of' different rates of iow of current as, for instance, in this view the rate may be changed from 5 to 2O amperes. ToV accomplish this I provide a sleeve 24 having knurled knob 25 upon its outer end and ange 26 upon its inner end with key" 27v extending longitudinally therethrough, so that when said sleeve is inserted in hole l2 of cap 2 upon fibre pin11, said key 27 will engage key way 28 of fibre pin 11 whereby -it is adapted to be rotated. Abell sha ed dial 29 having tubular bearing 29 is ed on sleeve 24 directly beneath porcelain cap 2 and has numbers 30 arranged ,l

' position so that lip 16 rests on the narrowest part of cam shaped head 36 thereby taking care of small armoeres. When it is'desired to change this plug so as to take care' of heavier Vduty simply turn knurled knob 25 until the'desired numberon dial29 'may be 555 seenl through observation hole 31 thus turning' cam shaped head 36and increasing the hold of lip 16. By thus increasing said hold. spring nger 14 must be moved a greater distance thereby requiring'wire 18 to becomehotter in order toexpand far enough to release 'collar 35 andv break thev circuit. Fibre nin -11 is provided with radium 37 which is concealed within the housingand is only visible when the` circuit is broken thus indicating an overcharge and open circuit.;` The cap 2 of the housing is prefer'- is Vadapted to formv a'v reiector' for the re# dium 3 7.

Ear 1-2. receives sleeve'24 and. engages flange l26 thereon 'to hold said sleeve and bell in spaced apart relation from cap 2.

InA the modified construction shownl in lably made of white enamel or porcelain and Figs. 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13 I provide a cylin'- I drical housing 38 made of heavyV paper or any *other suitable non-conducting material and having an elongated opening 38 therethrough. Metal conducting terminal' caps 39 and 40 are placed over the ends of said housing and cap 40 is provided with hole. 41 in which screw 42 is inserted. Said screw connects and supports the interior working parts.' L-shaped conducting bracket 43 is mounted on screw 42 and is insulated from cap v.40 by insulation 44.' vHolding spring '45 is mounted upon screw 42 and is insulated from L-shaped bracket 43 by insular' tion 46. It is also insulated .fromholding nut 47 by insulation 48. Screw 42 is insulated from L-sh-aped bracket 43 and holding spring 45 by insulating bushing 42-. The

lfree end ofV holding spring 45 has anl Ainturned beveled lip 49 vadapted to engage L- lshaped bracket 43. Holding nut 47 has a wire -50 embedded therein and. extending therefrom into holding engagement with lip 49. Fibre pin 51 extending through elongated opening 38 is inserted in the upperend of L-shaloed bracket l-43 and has copper circuit cap 52 rigidly fixed thereon. Fibre pin.51 has radium 53 thereon which is only visible when the circuit is broken. Circuit,

member 54 preferably of copper is held against the inner wall of cylindrical housing y38 by rivet 55 in contact with cap 39 thereby electrically connecting said circuit member 54 and cap 39. When there is a shortcircuit or overload the current passes from terminal cap 40 through screw 42 into holding l nut 4 7. and wire 50 into holding spring 45 through circuit wire 56, then through conper circuit cap 52,V into circuit. member 54,`

rivet 55 and cap 39 thereby completing the circuit whereupon the increased current passing .through wire 50 will heat it sufiiciently to cause it to expand lengthwise and press outwardly against spring 45 thereby forcing lip 49 out of engagement with L- shaped bracket 43 whereupon said bracket will return to the position shown in Fig. 11 thus drawing circuit can 52 out of engagement with circuit member 54 and c ircuit-wire 56 andbreaking the circuit while at the Sametime exposing the radium to view and visibly indicating that there is au open circuit.

In order to reset the device for further use it is only necessary to press fibre pin 51 inwardly thereby forcing'b'eveled edge 43' -of L-shaped member 43 past beveled edge gages the rear side of L-shaped member 43,

as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 11, said' spring thereby holding cap 52 in engagement with wire y56 and circuit member 54 thus completing the circuit. While I have shown and described pre-l secure by Letters Patent is:

l. In an automatic cut out, a .porcelain housing having a hole through one end, a

porcelain cap having a hole therethroughv mounted upon the other end, a screw extending therein and having a reduced stem, a fibre pin having a socket adapted to receive said stem and slidably mounted in theV hole in said cap, a U-shaped bracket mounted on said screw and insulated therefrom, aholding nut on said screw insulated from said U-shaped bracket, a spring finger forming part of said bracket, and having a lip, a collar fixed on said-fibrefpin and having a tapered shelf adapted to engage said U- shaped bracket, a tapered conducting collar fixed on said fibre pin, an arm on said bracket and a beveled lug on said arm adapted to engage said tapered collar.

2. In an automatic eut-out, a porcelain housing having a reduced end with a hole therethrough and a porcelain cap having a h hole therethrough mounted upon the other end, a screw passing through said housing and having a stem-extending therein, a holding nut threaded to said screw, a non-conducting pin having a socket adapted to receive said stem and a spring on said stem interposed between said non-conducting pin and said holding nut.

3. In an automatic cut out, a non-conducting housing having a non-conducting cap provided 'with a hole therein and means for attaching said cap to said housing, terminals mounted on said housing to form electrical' connection with an electric circuit,a conducting bracket having a spring finger mounted 'in said housing and insulated from said terminals, a non-conducting slidable pin having a socket in one end mounted in said housing, a stem'conneeted to one-of said terminals and extending into said socket, a coil spring mountedon said stem and interposed between said terminal and said pin, ,ast'op on said pin having a tapered flange adapted to engage said spring finger and hold said slidable pin 1n retracted position, a conducting arm on said bracket, a conducting lug ing arm, aconducting collar on said pin, a spring circuit connection connecting one of said terminals to said collar and a conducting wire connecting the other termi- Vhousing having a threaded on said Yconduetnal to said spring finger whereby when said circuit is' overloaded said wire will heat and expand` thereby disengaging said spring' finger from said stop and permitting said spring to slidably move said pin outwardly, substantially as set forth and for the purposes specified. v Y

4. I n an automatic cut out, a porcelain housing having a hole through one end, a porcelain cap having a hole therethrough mounted upon the other end, a screw eX- tending therein and having a reduced stem,

a fibre pin having a socket adapted to receive said stem and slidably mounted in the hole in said cap, a U-shaped bracket mounted on said screw and insulated therefrom, a holding nut on said screw insulated from said U-shaped bracket, a spring finger forming part of said bracket, and having a beveled lip, a collar fixed on said fibre pin vand having a tapered shelf, a tapered conducting collar fixed on said fibre pin, an arm on said bracket, a beveled lug on said darm adapted to engage said tapered collar and a wire attached to said first named terminal and to said lip respectively, for the purposes specified.

5. In an automatic cut out adapted for operation in an electric circuit, a housing having 'means for forming electrical connection with a movable non-conducting pin having conducting means thereon, a finger, an electrical connection Within said cut out aving a wire in engagement with said nger and adapted when saidcircuit is overloaded,

to heat and expand thereby causing said finger to yield out of 'engagement with a part of the circuit, and means to force said non-conducting pin away from its position in the circuit, whereby the circuit is broken.

6. In an automatic cut out, an insulating housing, means thereon comprising terminals, lfor formin electrical connection with an electric circuit, a spring finger, an electrical connection attached to one of said terminals and having contact with a spring electrical connection, a'movable stop adapted to engage said spring finger whereby the electrical connections are held in contact, and an electrical connection'between one of said terminalsy and said spring finger whereby when- 'said connection is heated and expanded, it will force said spring fingerl out of contact with said stop and break said electrical connection.

7. In an automatic cut out,an insulting terminal to form electrical connection with an electric circuit, a central terminal adapted to fern` contact with said circuit, a spring in said cut out, a bracket, an arm electrically connected and supported thereby, a lug on .said arm, a

tapered collar non-electrically mounted and adapted to contact with said lug, a stop nonllO .conductor connected to said centralterminal and to said spring finger whereby when said circuit is, overloaded, said .wire will heat and expand and force said spring inger out of Contact with said stop and said spiing will force said tapered collar out of contact with vsaid lug whereby the circuit is broken,

substantially asset .forth andfor the purposes specified. h V

8. Iii an automatic cut out, a non-conducting housing, terminals in said housing adapted -to form connection with an 'electric circuit, a conducting bracket mounted iii said housing having a spring finger and in sulated' fromvsaid terminals, a non-conducting pin mounted in said bracket and having radium near its outer end adapted to be concealed `within said housing when the circuit 4is closed and to be exposed through the end of said housing when the circuit is broken, a conducting arm on said bracket, a conducting lug on said arm, a conducting collar on said pin adapted to engage said lug., a springv interposed between the end of said housing and said pin, a conducting wire connecting. one of said terminals to said spring finger, a spring connection connecting the other of said yterminals to saidconducting.

collar, and a stop on said pin adapted to engage said spring finger, all for the purposes substantially as set forth.

9. In an automatic eut out, a non-conducting housing terminals Vmounted thereon to .form electrical connection with an electric circuit, a conducting bracket having a spring finger mounted in said housing'and insu' lated from said terminals, a non-conducting 'slidable pin mounted in said housing, a

spring interposed between one endmf. said housing and said slidable pin, a stop on saidpin adapted to engage said spring finger, a

conducting arm 'on said bracket, a conduct` ing lug on said arm, a conducting collar on said pin adapted to slidably engage said lug, a conducting wire connecting .one of said terminals to said spring finger and a spring circuit connection connecting' the other end of one .of said terminals to said conducting collar, substantially as set forth and for the purposes specified. l

`10. In an automatic cut'out, a Ynon-coriducting housing having a closed cap provided with a central opening and an observation holegbetween the center and Athe edge thereof, terminals mounted thereon to form' electrical connection with an electric circuit,

- a conducting bracket having 'a spring finger mounted in said housing and insulated' from said terminal, a non-conducting slidable pin having a key way and mounted in Asaid housing, a spring interposed between one end of' said housing andl said slidable pin, a tin-conducting sleeve having'a knob on one end and a'fiange on the other end and provided with an internal key, mounted on Said'pin, a beu Shaped dai cmi on aie-,Stem

of said sleeve and having numbers thereon adapted to be observed .throughsaid hole,

other of said terminals and said spring fin'- ger whereby when the circuit is overloaded said wire will heat and expand thereby forcing said spring finger out of contact with said iange and permittingsaid spring i tomove said pin outwardly to engagevsaid stop and said ear, substantially as-set forth -l and for the purposes specified.

11. In an automatic cut out, anlnsulating housing having threaded terminals to form 4electrical connection with an electric circuit,

a central terminal adapted to form contact with said circuit, a springdn said cut out, aI bracket having a spring finger, an arm electrically connectedand' supported thereby, a lug on said arm, a collar non-electrically mounted and adapted to' contact with said lug, a wire conductor connected to said -central terminal and tosaid spring finger and partly insulated therefrom whereby when said circuit is overloaded said wire will heat and expand and force said spring nger out of contact with said stop and said collar out of contact with said lug whereby the circuit is broken.

12.' In an automatic cut out, a non-conducting housinghaving a central opemng :in one end and an observation hole therethrough, a sleeve having a knob on one end anda flange onlthe other end mounted in.

said hole, a bell-shaped dial fixedon said sleeve and having numbers thereon adapted to be observed through said observation hole and having depressions therein'and. a spring mounted in said housing and adapted to enengage said depressionswhereby said 'dial is held in adjusted position. l

13. In an automatic cut out, va nonconducting housing having a central opening in one end and an observation hole therethrough, `a sleeve mounted in said opening, a dial mountedthereon and adapted to Vmove therewith and having numbers thereon adaptedto be observed through' said obser- 'vation hole and means for holding said dial in adjusted position.

14. In an automatic cut out, a non-con'- ducting housing `having a hole in each end, a vthreaded terminal on said housing, a. central terminal mounted in one of said holes and having a stem extending inwardly therefrom, a non-conducta@ vpin having a las socket in its inner said stem and mounted i'n the other of said holes, a stop on said pin, a conducting bracket having a spring finger mounted on said central terminal and insulated therefrom, terminal and insulated from said bracket, a spring o n said stem interposed between said n'ut and said pin, a conductingwire connected to said nut and to said spring finger, a conducting a'rm on said bracket, a conducting lug on said arm, a conducting collar on sa1d pin and a spring circuit cozm'iection attached to said threaded terminal and having its free end curved and adapted to engage said collar, substantially as set forth and for the purposes specified.

- lug on said arm,

- fixed on said 15. An automatic cut out comprising an insulating housing, terminals therefor, a conducting bracket mounted in one of said terminals, an arm on said bracket, a tapered an insulating slidably mounted pin having a stop thereon and socket therein, a tapered conducting collar pin and adapted to engage saidtapered lug, a spring conductor attached to the other 'terminal and adapted to form Contact with said collar, a spring finger forming part of said bracket and having'a lip adapted to engage said stop, a stemA 4- on. said first named terminal adapted to engage said socket, a s ringfon said stem interposed between sai terminal and said in, a conducting wire connected to said named terminaland to said spring fin er, whereby when the,circuit thus formec? is overloaded said wire will expand and force said spring finger out of engagement with end adapted to receive a holding nut mounted on said central conducting bracket said stop and said spring will force said collar out of contact with said lug and said stop away from said spring finger whereby the circuit is-broken.

16. An automatic cut insulating housing,

mountedvin one of said an arm on said bracket, a lug on said arm, an 'insulating slidably mounted pin having a-stop thereon and socket therein, atapered vconducting collar fixed'on said pin and adapted toengage said lug, a sprin conductor attached to the other terminal' an adapted to form contact with said collar, a spring finger forming part of said bracket and having a lip ada ted to engage said stop, a stem on said rst Anamed terminal adapted to engage said socket, a spring on said stem interposed between said terminal apd said pin, a conducting wire connected to said first sp'ring finger, whereby when the circuit thus f ormed is overloaded said Wire will expand and force said spring finver out'of engagement with said stop an said spring will force said collar out of contact with said lug and said stop away from said spring finger whereby .the circuit is broken.

terminals,

out comprising an terminals therefor, a

named terminal and to said- 17.'A non-conducting housing havinlg a `a wire forming an electrical connec- 

